Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
Fraochán

Bilberry, or Fraughan, is a small deciduous shrub. The bell-shaped flowers are green, usually tinged with pink. The leaves are oval, slightly toothed and a bright green colour. The fruit is purplish black and edible. It is a twiggy plant, a member of the heath family.
Bilberry grows on acid soil all over the country on heaths, moors and in open woods, and is a far more common plant than Vaccinium vitisidae (Cowberry) and Vaccinium oxycoccos (Cranberry). It is pollinated by bees.
In the past bilberry twigs were cut to make into brooms. The berries are sweet and have traditionally been made into jam. Fraughan picking was an activity in many places every July, sometimes on a regular 'Fraughan Sunday', when children were taken to help gather the fruit.
The flowers come out in April and May.
Bilberry grows on heaths and high ground in Britain, and on the mountains of Europe and northern Asia.